Recent advances and challenges in therapeutic applications of dextran and its derivatives: Micro and nanosystems

Biomedical roles of natural polysaccharides in biomedicine are extending because of their non-toxic and biodegradability properties. These biopolymers can improve pharmaceutical formulations by combination with synthetic polymers and therapeutic agents. Among these natural polymers, dextran has exhibited promising therapeutic and nutritional properties in both micro and nanobiomedicine. Dextran can be produced by specific lactic acid bacteria of the family Lactobacillus in different molecular weights. As the major clinical limitations, dextran can rarely lead to incompatibility as anaphylactoid reactions such as cardiovascular collapse and severe hypotension. The therapeutic capacity of dextran can be affected by changes of molecular weight. This mini-review has illustrated new advances and limitations for therapeutic and nutritional applications of dextran and its derivatives such as dextran aldehyde, acetylated dextran, and carboxymethyl dextran as polymeric micro and nanosystem.